Getting to the point of needing to replace the ball joints on my tractor hauler. Its a 2012 Dodge 3500 4X4 dually. What do you guys recommend? Local shop wants $1200 to do it, and I think they are NUTS!! They also want to align it. Don't know how you align a solid front end? Maybe I missed sumpin.
- Thread starter Lazy WP
- Start date
Getting to the point of needing to replace the ball joints on my tractor hauler. Its a 2012 Dodge 3500 4X4 dually. What do you guys recommend? Local shop wants $1200 to do it, and I think they are NUTS!! They also want to align it. Don't know how you align a solid front end? Maybe I missed sumpin.
RCP
Well-known Member
- Location
- Grove City Pa
I suggest joining the cumminsforum, there are many discussions on ball-joints and which brands hold up the best.
Rich
Dodge Truck Forum
Rich
Dodge Truck Forum
Janicholson
Well-known Member
I watched two Utube videos on it and you can do it if you have a "C" tool to push them out and install them, No real issue. Jim
Yes you missed something. Is the 1200 for labor or the whole job? Betting it is parts and labor. The last ones I had and seen apart, the rotors will be destroyed getting the off of the hub, along with the bearings being stuck in the casting. Then trying to remove the ball joints with the clamp tool and end up cutting them out. And the ball joints are made with an offset to align the wheels and axle. Sound high but everything is expensive on a 1 ton.
tracto-man
Member
I just did 1 of them on my older dodge truck. That price seems a little high for sure. For about $400 you could buy the parts and tools needed to do it yourself if you work on your own trucks at all? Ball joint service sets can be had for around $150.
fixerupper
Well-known Member
$1200 doesn't sound too out of line for a one ton when you include labor. I always half joke you spend twice as much for repairs on a one ton.
Hobo,NC
Well-known Member
- Location
- Sanford, NC
Moog chassis parts are the only way to fly. They do offer adjustable ball joints but I doubt they are included with the price you got... If you have not experienced any alignment issues then you don't need adjustable joints if you have its your chance to correct the issue. Either way it will need to go on a alignment machine.
If they are using Moog parts the price sounds about right.
Richard G.
Well-known Member
Just had my 3500 diesel done this year. I bought the parts and my mechanic charged me $250 to do them. Took him about 1 hour.
Richard in NW SC
Richard in NW SC
bigbob1939
Member
Looks like Rockauto sells the Moog parts anywhere from. 30---100 dollars for each ball joint. A good impact would be a big help, Oriellys loans the C clamp press it takes to get them out and back in. A few hours of work, but saves several dollors. Bob
Gambles
Well-known Member
Before everybody goes out and buys some Moog replacement parts, remember one thing. Moog has more than one replacement line. They have a "cheapie" replacement line of parts that starts with the letter "R". They are parts that are meant to compete with every other POS cheapie replacement part that everybody buys because they can save a nickle by doing so. These Moog parts are probably made in China or some other third-world country and I wouldn't run them on junk that I would sell tomorrow.
They also have a a higher quality line that begins with a "C" or a "K" or perhaps another letter other than "R". Sometimes they are sold with the "problem solver" motto on the box. These are acceptable parts, although I personally think there are better parts out there.
Just remember one thing: Stay away from Moog parts that begin with the letter "R".
They also have a a higher quality line that begins with a "C" or a "K" or perhaps another letter other than "R". Sometimes they are sold with the "problem solver" motto on the box. These are acceptable parts, although I personally think there are better parts out there.
Just remember one thing: Stay away from Moog parts that begin with the letter "R".
try to figure out what the mopar part numbers are. You might be able to get there via google.
then shop around for the mopars. I often find mopar suspension parts quite resonable on ebaay or amazoon. alot of Chrysler cars used TRW suspension parts. THere is a TRW website to search for your car/truck. I've often found TRWs on amazoooon & ebaaay for the same or less than cheap aftermarket stuff locally. yeah you'll have to get it in the mail. TRWs are usually stil made in canada.
as far as ball joints go, unless they're really shot it shouldn't necessarily need an alignment unless you start to change tie rod ends and other parts that are related to the adjustment. Of course alignments are generally a good idea. I'm sure the tires on your car hauler aren't cheap and the alignment $ is probably well worth it.
then shop around for the mopars. I often find mopar suspension parts quite resonable on ebaay or amazoon. alot of Chrysler cars used TRW suspension parts. THere is a TRW website to search for your car/truck. I've often found TRWs on amazoooon & ebaaay for the same or less than cheap aftermarket stuff locally. yeah you'll have to get it in the mail. TRWs are usually stil made in canada.
as far as ball joints go, unless they're really shot it shouldn't necessarily need an alignment unless you start to change tie rod ends and other parts that are related to the adjustment. Of course alignments are generally a good idea. I'm sure the tires on your car hauler aren't cheap and the alignment $ is probably well worth it.
I bought mine from NAPA for my 1999 3500 Dodge. The lower replacement ball join had a grease fitting and a plug. Put the grease fitting in grease then remove and install the plug. The axle interferes with the fitting. I did all the work myself. I used one of those large ball joint C clamp tools worked great.
matthies, why would you destroy the rotors? They just slip off on a 2012.As far as the hub bearing goes, they come out real easy with the right tool. Don't know how everything can be more expensive on a 1 ton. It is the same front axle as the 3/4 ton, just spacers put on for the dually wheels. Explanation please?
That's nice to know Gambles.
I used to buy nothing but MOOG parts from my local parts
store but they stopped carrying them. Explanation was that
MOOG moved production to a "cheap" place and they had so
many returned parts that they switched to a different supplier.
I think they sell TRW now but I've found that most of the time
since the switch it is actually cheaper for me to order them
from the dealer. Odd, I know, but that's the truth of it at my
small town dealership.
That only applies to certain parts of course. Ball joints, tie rod
ends, some electrical sensors, headlight and dimmer switches,
air conditioning parts, etc. It pays to call around.
Don't forget to ask about warranty.
One funny thing that happened was when I needed a headlight
assembly for a Neon, NAPA could get it for me for $xx and the
dealer could get it for about $20 less so I ordered it from the dealer.
When it came in, it was sealed in a NAPA box. And broken.
The dealership warrantied it and for the extra wait time, they
offered to install it at no charge even though I was just buying parts.
NAPA is directly across the street from them.
I used to buy nothing but MOOG parts from my local parts
store but they stopped carrying them. Explanation was that
MOOG moved production to a "cheap" place and they had so
many returned parts that they switched to a different supplier.
I think they sell TRW now but I've found that most of the time
since the switch it is actually cheaper for me to order them
from the dealer. Odd, I know, but that's the truth of it at my
small town dealership.
That only applies to certain parts of course. Ball joints, tie rod
ends, some electrical sensors, headlight and dimmer switches,
air conditioning parts, etc. It pays to call around.
Don't forget to ask about warranty.
One funny thing that happened was when I needed a headlight
assembly for a Neon, NAPA could get it for me for $xx and the
dealer could get it for about $20 less so I ordered it from the dealer.
When it came in, it was sealed in a NAPA box. And broken.
The dealership warrantied it and for the extra wait time, they
offered to install it at no charge even though I was just buying parts.
NAPA is directly across the street from them.
Hobo,NC
Well-known Member
- Location
- Sanford, NC
That's BS, more than likely low bidder got the contract are there customer base was to cheap to buy Moog. Moog is a rite good leap in price but worth every penny.
I guarantee any professional if given the choice would rather install a Moog chassis part over any other. The only down side is the price of a Moog part is outrageous but worth every penny considering the low priced junk that's out there.
I have never had to replace a Moog chassis part I have never had a Moog part that did not fit as it should. I have installed other brands that did not fit out of the box. I have had them fail before I could get the vehicle off the lift :shock: I have seen them jack apart while greasing, Its always a gamble with those cheap parts.
Whoops I forgot I did have to replace a Moog Pittman arm the splines were stamped a tad out of alignment (my own truck).
Gambles
Well-known Member
FYI, Moog will put old, discontinued TRW parts inside a box that says "Problem Solver" on it. (TRW no longer makes auto parts, at least in the states. Sold out in 2010 or thereabouts)
How do I know this? I purchased some Problem Solver parts for my kid's car a couple of months ago and got a TRW-labeled lower control arm in a Problem Solver box. I figured somebody had switched parts on me, so I called the factory complaint line. Nope, they told me that TRW was just as good as Moog and they admitted that they were doing it on all of the TRW leftover parts. (TRW were good parts, btw. It's just that I ordered Problem Solver parts, not TRW parts) One of my lower control arms shipped to me was a Pro Problem solver part with a grease zerk. The other was a TRW part without a grease zerk, yet they admitted to putting a TRW part in a Problem Solver box and weren't going to do anything about it. I sent it back.
I still stand by my statement that the Moog "R" line is cheap, Chinese junk. Yet Moog doesn't really tell you anything about that fact. Are the Problem Solver parts good? Yea, but it doesn't guarantee that you get an American-made part either. It very well could be made somewhere else, like everything else you now buy.
How do I know this? I purchased some Problem Solver parts for my kid's car a couple of months ago and got a TRW-labeled lower control arm in a Problem Solver box. I figured somebody had switched parts on me, so I called the factory complaint line. Nope, they told me that TRW was just as good as Moog and they admitted that they were doing it on all of the TRW leftover parts. (TRW were good parts, btw. It's just that I ordered Problem Solver parts, not TRW parts) One of my lower control arms shipped to me was a Pro Problem solver part with a grease zerk. The other was a TRW part without a grease zerk, yet they admitted to putting a TRW part in a Problem Solver box and weren't going to do anything about it. I sent it back.
I still stand by my statement that the Moog "R" line is cheap, Chinese junk. Yet Moog doesn't really tell you anything about that fact. Are the Problem Solver parts good? Yea, but it doesn't guarantee that you get an American-made part either. It very well could be made somewhere else, like everything else you now buy.
Hobo,NC
Well-known Member
- Location
- Sanford, NC
I have gotten two different looking parts when I ordered Moog I will look into that. I would have put up the same fight 5 years ago when the Autolite spark plug subject came up. Autolite sold there sole to China nothing will make me go back to Autolites. It took me a year to get all the misfire issues resolved with the Autolites I had installed
... I had several that came apart the center electrode and ceramic insulator became part of the combustion process :shock:If you were responding to me Hobo I suppose that may be true.
I don't know the reason, only what I was told.
The dealer parts are cheaper than the parts store's.
They also have a shorter warranty.
What I find sad about the warranty is that they don't pay for
your labor no matter what. Lifetime brakes? Yeah, right.
Similar threads
We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.
Copyright © 1997-2024 Yesterday's Tractor Co.
All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.
Yesterday's Tractors - Antique Tractor Headquarters
Website Accessibility Policy